Improvement in musical notations



L. D. HOLTERMANN.

Musical-Notation.

N0.2O5,387. Patented June 25,1878.

MPEIERS, FHO

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIc LOUIS D. HOLTERMANN, OF HOBOKEN, NE JERSEY.

IMPROVEMENT IN MUSICAL NOTATIONS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No: 205,387, dated June 25, 1878; application lilcd June 5, 1678.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs D.HOLTERMANN, of Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Musical Notation, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents five bars of a piece of music written in the ordinary manner. Fig. 2 shows the same five bars written according to my invention.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The object of this invention is to enable persons unacquainted with the common musical notation to play a piece of music on a pianoforte; and, in order to accomplish this purpose, I have combined in my chart a series of vertical spaces representing the successive keys of a piano-forte, a series of horizontal lines representing the bars of the music to be played, a series of intermediate horizontal lines representing the measure, dots marked on the spaces representing the keys, and on or between the bar-lines and vertical lines extending from said dots through one or more of the horizontal lines, and serving to indicate the duration or value of some of the notes, as will be hereinafter more fully explained.

In the drawing, the vertical spaces, which are marked g, g-sharp, a, b-flat, b, 850., represent the successive keys of a piano-forte, said spaces being of such a width that when the sheet on which they are marked is placed over the key-board of a piano-forte each of the spaces coincides with the key which it is to represent. Across these keys is drawn a series of horizontal lines, B, which represent the successive bars of the piece of music to be produced, and between these bar-lines are other horizontal lines, M, representing the measure.

In the example shown in Fig. l the measure is three quarters or three crotchets, and the four notes appearing in the first vertical line of Fig. 1 are f, a, c, f, each of the value of one crotchet.

In Fig. 2 it will be seen that on each of the spaces representing the keys f a c f is marked a dot, thus indicating that the four keys so marked have to be struck. The sec= 0nd vertical line in Fig. 1 contains the same notes f, a, c, f, each of the value of three quavers, and in Fig. 2 they are indicated by dots on the second measure-line, and from each of these dots extends. a vertical line, :10, through the third measure-line, and to the middle of the space between the third measure-line and the second bar-line, thereby showing that these notes are to continue for the space of three quavers. The third vertical line in Fig. 1 contains the notes f, b-flat, d, g, each of the value of one quaver. These notes are indicated in Fig. 2 by dots marked ontheappropriatekey-spaces betweenthethird measure-line and the second bar-line. The first vertical line of the second bar, Fig. 1, contains the notes 0, a, c, f, the notes 0, 0, being of the value of two crotchets, and the notes a, f, of one crotchet each. The dots marked onthe appropriate keys e cin Fig.2are provided with vertical lines extending through the second and to the third measure-lines, while the dots on the keys A and F have no vertical lines.

The next vertical line in the second bar, Fig. 1, contains the notes 9, 0, each of the value of one crotchet, andthey are marked on their appropriate keys in Fig. 2 by dots on the second measure-line. The third vertical line of the second bar, Fig. 1, contains the notes f, a, c, f, each of the value of one crotchet, and they are indicated in Fig. 2 by dots marked on the appropriate keys and on the third measure-line.

The first vertical line in the third bar, Fig. 1, contains five notes, b-flat, b-flat, d, f, g, the first four of which are of the value of two crotchets, while the last, is of the value of three quavers. Then follow two notes, a, bflat, each of the value of one quaver, all of which is indicated on and below the third barline in Fig. 2. Then follow five notes, 0, g, c, e, b-flat, the first four of which represent the value of one crotchet each, and the last that of a quaver; and the bar is completed by two notes, a, g, each of the value of a quaver, all of which are duly marked in Fig. 2 on the appropriate keys.

It will be noticed that in this bar appear two trioles, which, however, can be readily performed from the representation in Fig. 2.

If the measure is changed, the number of measure-lines between the successive barlrnes on Fig. 2 must be correspondingly in- I "creased or decreased; but the method of marking the successive notes on the appropriate keys and of indicating the duration of each note remains the same as above described.

If desired, my chart can be made on a reduced scale, and placed on the piano-forte with the key-lines running either in a horizontal or in a vertical position; but in practice I prefer to make the key-lines to correspond to the keys of the piano-forte, as above stated.

I do not claim as my invention a chart containing vertical spaces corresponding to the successive keys of a piano-forte, such chart having already been used.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, in a chart containing vertical spaces representing the successive keys of a piano-forte, of a series of horizontal lines representing the bars of the piece of music to be performed, a series of intermediate horizontal lines representing the measure, dots marked on the spaces representing the keys, and on or between the bar-lines to indicate the keys to be struck, and vertical lines extending through one or more of the horizontal lines, and indicating the value of notes larger than the unit of the measure, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 4th day of June, 1878.

LOUIS D. HOLTERMANN.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. KASTENHUBER. 

